Anything But Clothes

If you’re looking for some fun this weekend, join LifeWorks and Captiv8 Promotions at Stompin Grounds Coffee and Cocktail Lounge at 8PM for the “Anything But Clothes” Fundraiser and Holiday Drive! This night of fashion will feature attendees constructing attire from recycled and repurposed materials including bubble wrap, newspaper, cardboard, and magazines!

If that doesn’t sound like enough fun, there will be a complimentary dessert bar offering three delicious flavors from the Yogurt Spot, and drink specials all night!

There will also be prize raffles for Ipods, gift cards, and a free bar tab. A silent auction will also be held, featuring an Ibanez Guitar autographed by Colbie Calliat!

The best part is, the event benefits a good cause! LifeWorks representatives will be at the event to give information about the LifeWorks mission and volunteer opportunities in the community.

How do you get into an event this awesome? It’s simple! A $5 minimum donation is being accepted at the door, but guests are also encouraged to donate in-kind gifts such as backpacks, clothing, and giftcards to H-E-B, Target, or WalMmart.

So join LifeWorks and Captiv8 Promotions on Friday, November 6 from 8PM to 11PM at Stomping Grounds Coffee and Cocktail Lounge for truly good fun! For More information, check out Do512 and Unreal360 or email development@lifeworksweb.org

Meet Colbie Caillat

LifeWorks has meet and greet passes! Each donation you make to LifeWorks today, Oct 22, will enter you into a drawing for a chance to win passes to meet Colbie Caillat.

Winners will be notified by phone and will be invited along with a guest to meet Colbie after tonight’s performance at Stubb’s. Drawing will take place after 5pm.

Enter now.
A special thanks to captiv8 productions, and Colbie Caillat and team.

A Day for Improvement

On Friday September 25 2009, lives were changed. Some staff began as early as 6 AM to prepare for teams arriving to help with LifeWorks 5th Annual Home Improvement Challenge. Apartments may have been renovated, but at days end, the real improvement was in the lives of LifeWorks clients.

The Clients:

LifeWorks clients live in a supportive housing program offering subsidized housing to kids who need a “getting on your feet period.”  LifeWorks clients are former foster care children, former homeless youth and teen parents who may have never before received the help they need for a fresh start. Having worked hard to come up through the ranks of other LifeWorks programs, these clients are preparing to soon be self-sufficient.

The Challenge:

Through LifeWorks Home Improvement Challenge (HIC), corporate and community teams partner with a volunteer decorator to design the space of a LifeWorks client. Groups must use environmentally friendly and recycled materials and work on a very small budget. They have exactly one day, from 8 AM to 4 PM to complete the transformation.

Morning:

At 8 AM, chilled to the bone from unseasonal 60 degree temps and full of Maudie’s breakfast tacos, Einstein Brothers bagels, and Starbucks coffee, 9 teams officially started to makeover the homes of deserving LifeWorks clients. The clients were enjoying the day off site at the Wyndham Garden Hotels  waiting for the big  reveals of their apartments later that afternoon.

Morning work for almost all teams mostly consisted of painting living room, bedroom, and bathroom walls, kitchen and bathroom cabinets, patio screens, etc. and basic furniture assembly. With many teams singing, dancing, and laughing, morning quickly passed into lunch time. Lunch was made possible by Which Which who donated enough boxed lunches to feed the LifeWorks staff, volunteers, and clients.

Afternoon:

The relaxation of lunch time quickly passed into an afternoon filled with the feeling of urgency. Volunteers began the task of setting up for the big afternoon celebration. They moved tables, chairs, set up a large buffet of food donated by H-E-B Central Market, hauled ice chests loaded with drinks, set up a makeshift stage, and more. Teams still had much to do. Many were assembling furniture, unloading groceries, unpacking microwaves and blenders, ironing and assembling curtains, making beds, and many other tiny design features that make the apartment renovations truly come to life.

Reveals went off without a hitch and started at 4PM with clients being ushered into their newly furnished apartments by their LifeWorks Advocates. Shock and tears of happiness were the norm for most of the clients when they finally got to homes they only dreamed they would someday have.

Awards:

Tables brightly decorated in bright blue and accented with IKEA centerpieces made of green watering cans greeted happy clients, teams, and their families for a celebration. Munching on an array of treats like fruit, chicken, and quesadillas, many volunteers relaxed for the first time that day and eagerly awaited the awards results.

LifeWorks awards are issued at celebration for the teams that were the most green, teams that had the best use of recycled resources, and finally the challenge champion team with the best overall design. Judging was handled by Matt Briggs of Four Hands, and Celicilia Camp and Lori Atkinson from IKEA.

Keeping it Green was awarded to Dell Legal and Vivid Design Group

Design on a Dime was awarded to New York Life Longterm Care and Patty Sifuentes

Challenge Champion was awarded to American Campus Communities and Sixth River Architects

All the apartments were fantastic so it was hard for the judges to choose winners. A parade of homes was conducted after the celebration so other volunteers and their family members could see all the hard work other teams had done for other clients. The clients were exhausted, but happy and eager to spend some time with their families in their homes. Many sat and chatted with the volunteers who had worked in their apartments. No matter how small the time spent, clients and volunteers formed a bond. Volunteers shared an intimate space with clients and truly made someone’s dream come true. When the clients do eventually move to new places and live on their own, they will not only take furniture, but will also be able to take the heart put into every facet of the renovations with them, and for many, that is the real improvement.

LifeWorks wants to thank all of our donors, volunteers, teams, and designers for all the hard work and effort they put into the 2009 LifeWorks 5th Annual Home Improvement Challenge.

We also want to thank KVUE, News 8 Austin, and My Fox Austin for coming down to check out what HIC is all about! Take a look at the articles and news casts that were broadcasted throughout the day.

Sixth River Architects Accepts a Challenge

Not only has Sixth River Architects accepted LifeWorks Home Improvement Challenge, they have begun a project of their own. Sixth River has started a blog chronicling their adventures leading up to the Home Improvement Challenge. Check out their blog to see design ideas and glance at pictures of what has been donated.

You don’t have to be a member of an awesome architectural firm to help out with HIC! If you don’t have time to volunteer, you can still help by purchasing something from the LifeWorks Charity Market. We thank Sixth River Architects and apartment sponsor American Campus Communities for all their hard work, and look forward to seeing the final results of the Home Improvement Challenge on September 25th!

Sweet Charity

The Christie Cookie Company is donating $25,000 to charities! In celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Nashville based company is opting out of a big bash and instead choosing to celebrate by giving back.

Through October 15, you can help us by entering LifeWorks in their Charity Giveaway. The charity with the most nominations receives $10,000!

Christie’s Cookies was founded by Christie Hauk in 1983. Christie left his corporate job and set out to create the perfect cookie. 25 years and millions of cookies later, the Christie Cookie Company is known for its “elegant packages and unique corporate gifts.” Christies uses real butter, fresh nuts, and french chocolate to make its most popular flavors, chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and white chocolate macadamia nut! Every batch is hand mixed and made to order.

“We are fortunate to have achieved success by doing what we love for so many years. We want to extend heartfelt gratitude to those who devote themselves to improving the quality of life of others,” said Christies President, Fleming Wilt, in a statement released earlier this month.

Check out the website, indulge yourself, nominate LifeWorks, and treat us to a helping of sweet, sweet charity. Be sure to tell your friends!

For more information on the cookie company, or to set up a tour contact Sue O’Donnell by email or phone: 645-212-3847

LEAP’s “Back to School” Donation Drive and Happy Hour

Wednesday, August 5th, 6 – 8 pm

Malverde, 400 West 2nd St

LEAP invites you to sip sangrias and learn more about LifeWorks Teen Parent Services Program (TPS) while helping less fortunate teenagers get excited about the upcoming school year! In support of TPS, LEAPers are asking all happy hour attendees to bring a donation from the list below (cash and gift cards are also welcome).

Parent Needs:
– Adult-sized backpacks
– High School supplies (binders, paper, dividers, pens, pencils)
– Socks

Children Needs:
– Diaper Bags
– Umbrella Strollers
– Formula (Similac Advanced brand)
– Diapers (sizes 1-5)
– Onesies
– Nursey Kits

Texas has the highest teen birth rate in the country. Each year, more than 1400 Travis County teens give birth. Without support, 23% of these young mothers will give birth again within a year, and 33% will drop out of school. The goal of the LifeWorks TPS is to help young people complete their high school education, prevent subsequent pregnancies, and attain self-sufficiency. We hope you’ll join us at Malverde to support LifeWorks and TPS.

Free Sangria served from 6-7 pm  |  Light fare from La Condessa also available  |  For more information on the donation drive, please visit LEAP’s new website. 

Volunteer at the upcoming “Back to School Bash” August 12th.

Milkshakes for Money

Join us this Saturday, August 1st at Elevation Burger in the Arboretum
and cool off with a delicious milkshake. Fifty cents from every
hand-crafted milkshake sold from 2-4 p.m. will be donated to LifeWorks.

The family fun day is being hosted by Elevation Burger along with
Blanton Art Museum and Fergus’s Funhouse. The event is free to the
public and will feature arts and crafts projects with the Blanton Art
Museum, and story time with the cast of the new television children’s
show “Fergus’s Funhouse.”

Elevation Burger recently opened at 9828 Great Hills Trail in Austin.
With the slogan “Ingredients Matter,” the restaurant uses free-range and
grass-fed beef, sustainable suppliers and practices, and produce
delivered and prepped fresh daily.  The store has an aggressive
recycling program – even converting the olive oil from the French fries
fryers into bio-diesel.

For more information, call Danny Bone (512) 608-4054 or visit
www.ElevationBurger.com.

LifeWorks to Benefit from Toni Bravo’s Upcoming Production

LifeWorks’ own Brett Barnes will be performing in A Glimpse of Heaven With Eyes Closed  at the Long Center. Before every production, Brett will give a short lecture on homelessness in austin. Part of the proceeds from the show will be donated to LifeWorks to help youth and families in crisis.

 

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WHO:  Toni Bravo’s Diverse Space Dance/Theatre and The Violet Crown Players Present

WHAT:  A Glimpse of Heaven With Eyes Closed       

WHEN:  July 24 and 25 at 8 p.m. and July 26 at 2 p.m.        

WHERE: Debra and Kevin Rollins Studio Theatre Long Center for the Performing Arts

TIX:        $15 for students and seniors; $20 general admission; $30 VIP

Ticket purchases can be made at The Long Center website or by calling 512.474.LONG (5664); Part of the proceeds will benefit: LifeWorks transitions youth and families from crisis to safety and success.

                              (Some charges may apply for advance and credit card purchase.)

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More about the show:  

A Production about finding Heaven in Human Connectedness: at Home, in Dreams and in the Streets. 

AUSTIN, Texas Diverse Space Dance/Theatre and Violet Crown Players will once again bring dance, motion picture, and music to the final production in their trilogy about Heaven and Connectedness, with Nature and Humanity. A Glimpse of Heaven With Eyes Closed will carry the audience through the lives of isolated characters who create snapshots of Heaven in their chance encounters with each other and their newly found abilities to connect.

A young child is abducted, a prisoner of war returns home, an immigrant struggles with life in a new country, and an elderly widow wanders aimlessly. Each in isolation, and each attached to their memories, they soon find that the streets are full of surprises.

“We want this production to remind our audience that there might be a compelling story behind why someone becomes homeless. We also want to remind ourselves of the value of togetherness, kindness and compassion,” said Toni Bravo, principal of Diverse Space Dance/Theatre. “We hope our message will encourage the viewers to choose the risk of connection over the safety of isolation.”

Choreography will intermingle throughout the program with film music and live vocals to present an array of Human and Heavenly relationships.

Toni Bravo choreographed this original work in collaboration with Sharon Marroquìn. Diana Huckaby provided concept development and costumes. Technical direction is by Stephen Pruitt and sound design by Frank Hipchen.

This project is funded and supported in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts with an award from The National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

ABOUT TONI BRAVO’S DIVERSE SPACE DANCE/THEATRE

Diverse Space Dance/Theatre is committed to diversity of: cultural influences, performance techniques, and performance spaces, and determined to promote social responsibility and connectedness in the Human experience.

Named Best Choreographer by the Austin Chronicle for three consecutive years, Bravo is known for her willingness to explore any performance possibility in traditional and nontraditional performance spaces. She presents her independent, politically charged works through Diverse Space Dance Theatre produced by Violet Crown Players, Inc. Bravo also directs Ballet Austin’s Dance in Education programs and conducts an award-winning program at St Michel’s Academy.

ABOUT VIOLET CROWN PLAYERS, INC. 

Diverse Space Dance Theatre is sponsored and produced by Violet Crown Players, Inc. (VCP). VCP is a non-profit arts organization that presents programs that include a variety of theatre arts. The performers have been recognized for their artistic endeavors through local, national or international awards and contracts.

LifeWorks Photography Exhibit

George Brainard LifeWorks Photography Exhibit

George Brainard’s LifeWorks photographs are on exhibit through June 30 at the Oak Springs Branch of the Austin Public Library, 3101 Oak Springs Dr. The exhibit features selections from an ongoing series of portraits Brainard has taken of homeless youth. The exhibit is free and open to the public. To see examples of George Brainard’s work please visit www.georgebrainard.com. For more information about this exhibit please call 512-926-4453 or visit www.cityofaustin.org/library.

About George Brainard A sixth generation Texan, George Brainard was raised in Austin. When George was eleven his Aunt took him on a trip to Washington D.C. and let him use her 35mm camera. He was hooked. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1993 with a degree in Studio Art. For many years George led a double life of photographer by day and musician by night. He fronted numerous bands including a seven-piece group in the mid nineties that recorded three CDs of original music and toured the country. In 1999 George gave up the nightlife to focus exclusively on his photographic career (he was sick of living in a van with six other guys). Since then he has amassed an impressive client list by making beautiful photographs and making sure everyone has a good time in the process. He has shot over 35 CD covers, assignments for numerous national and international publications, advertisements and catalogues (both local and national) and worked for some of the largest corporations in the country. George lives in the hills east of Austin with his wife, Mindy; daughter, Lillian and a turtle named Earl.

Transforming LifeWorks Transitional Living Shelter

 

Forget sleeping in on a Saturday!  Over 30 volunteers from New York Life Insurance’s Long Term Care Division (LTCD) rallied together on Saturday, May 16^th to transform LifeWorks Transitional Living Shelter.

 Volunteers gathered at 8:30a.m. as the shelter’s residents were still sleeping. After a brief introduction by Brett Barnes, LifeWorks Director of Development, the transformation got under way. The volunteers set out to build a receptacle for the recycling bins, landscape the front of the building, and clean the drains and gutters.

 Despite the sweltering morning heat, the volunteers worked hard and with amazing energy. Soon, tools were in every hand as the group worked to beautify the building.

 As the lumber was unloaded, plans were laid for the recycling receptacle. The large structure, which accommodates four bins and cardboard, was completed in a matter of hours with the excellent teamwork of New York Life Insurance’s LTCD volunteers.

 The front landscaping involved weeding, planting, fertilizing and mulching. As the morning progressed, the clients awoke to find that the entry walkway to the shelter had turned into an oasis of shade.

Not only did a few adventurous volunteers clean the drains and gutters, but they also saw to it that the surrounding trees received a much needed trim.

 As the morning progressed, a few incredibly generous volunteers purchased enough mulch for the entire grounds. The effect was amazing; the landscaping has never looked so complete and uniform.

 The group finished just as the rain came to give the building a good washing and the garden a good watering.

 The difference New York Life Insurance’s LTCD made on the shelter is astounding. Their dedication has given LifeWorks clients a beautiful outdoor space for their home. However, the generosity of the group doesn’t stop there. New York Life Insurance’s LTCD also hosted a Baby Shower Donation Drive, raising over ten boxes of baby care items, donated a tub of hygiene products, and finished their month of giving with a monetary donation.